The Medieval Andalusian Preliminary Ethnic Relations

Medieval Andalusia is one of the most complex regions in Europe and even the whole world for its ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. From 711 to 1492, until the fall of Granada, there is a continuous process of national fusion between Arabs and other Iberian ethnics through immigration, cohabitation, intermarriage, religious conversion and etc.This paper attempts to explore the development of ethnic relation in early medieval Andalusia by using basic methods and theory of relative research, including the characteristics, determinants, communication and performance of each stage with a particular focus on religious and cultural factors.Of the various factors that impact the development of ethnic relation during this period, religious and cultural factors hold a dominant position. As for the religion, the monistic mode of thinking originated from the Monotheism of Islam, Christianity and Judaism had always become the main reason for ethnic conflict. And for the culture, the cultural differences between different ethnics not only act as the prerequisite but also the result and performance of its continuous development. In the first chapter, a definition of the word "nation" and its application has been made.The second chapter explores the development of ethnic relations in early medieval Andalusia from a macro view by studying its background, forms, features and performances which the focus of each stage is varied. The third chapter studies the political, religious, economic and cultural status of Christianity and Judaism under the regime of Muslim from their point of view as to show the specific impact of the development of ethnic relation from micros perspectives.Finally, the Chapter four attempts to explore the role of religious factor in the development of Ethnic Relations by using the ethnic theory.The development of ethnic relation in early medieval Andalusia displays the commonality of its kinds, which is the contacts and exchanges between ethnics, is closely related to the political factors. Besides, it also shows its own feature, that is the religious and cultural factors have always occupied an important position in the development of ethnic identity and relationship in early Medieval Andalusia.